Gook (film)

Gook is a 2017 American drama film written, directed, and starring Justin Chon. The film premiered at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival, where it won the NEXT Audience Award.

The story is set in 1992 Los Angeles during the days leading up to and including the Los Angeles riots, also known as the Rodney King riots. It focuses on two Korean-American brothers, Eli and Daniel, who run a shoe store in a predominantly African-American neighborhood. Their friendship with an 11-year-old African-American girl named Kamilla is central to the plot. The film explores themes of racial tension, community, and the immigrant experience in America. It depicts the strained relationships between Korean-Americans and African-Americans in Los Angeles, exacerbated by economic hardship and the Rodney King verdict. Gook attempts to show the perspectives of those caught in the crossfire of the riots, humanizing individuals often overlooked in broader historical narratives. The film’s title itself, Gook, is a derogatory term often used against people of Asian descent, and its usage in the film highlights the racial prejudices faced by the characters.